A wicked smile slashed across the witch’s face, her teeth bared as she strode toward me. Her bare feet bit through the sand, black hair writhing in the wind.
“You fools!” she spat. “You think you can trick me? This is over!”
She thrust her hand through the bars and ripped the sheath from my grip. But then she stopped cold. Her violet eyes narrowed, confusion bleeding in.
The sheath was empty.
I leaned against the bars, crossing my ankles and folding my arms across my chest.
“And then, the first rule of thieves: never keep the prize where they expect.”
“What?” she hissed.
Her head snapped up. She whirled.
Marin was already sprinting the final steps into the surf. Her hair clung to her rain-slicked shoulders—a stunning sight as she pulled the glowing shard from her boot and dropped to her knees.
She raised it high over her head.
“Always trust your partner,” she shouted, voice ringing above the storm. A grin broke across her face.
Then she slammed the shard into the sea, driving it deep into the sand.
A massive burst of light exploded from the shard, illuminating the waves. Energy surged across the beach, shattering thecoral monster into pieces. Its chains clattered into the sand. My cage broke, splintering into shards that scattered in the wind.
The witch shrieked.
Magic spiraled around her, a vortex of light and water. It spun faster, tighter, sparking with purple light. Her body twisted, arms thrashing from the force.
The witch screamed again—cut short as the wave solidified, driving like a stake through her chest. Then the wave collapsed in on itself, her form turning to sea foam, sizzling in the rain. The last of her hissed into the sand, and she was gone.
I sank to my knees, a harsh laugh breaking in my throat. My shoulder throbbed, blood still seeping from the wound. I could barely lift my arms. My legs felt like driftwood. But all I could see was Marin.
She pulled the shard from the surf and tucked it into her belt. Then she stumbled toward me, her boots waterlogged, clothes stuck to her skin, steps unsteady. Marin collapsed into the sand next to me and threw her arms around my shoulders.
I pulled her closer, through the pain, my hands threading through her hair. She trembled, and I dragged her into my lap, bracing her cheeks with my palms.
“You did it.”
Marin blinked away the rain, blue eyes shining with so much emotion I nearly crushed her to me again. It was too much—more than I’d ever hoped—and now that I’d seen it, I was more certain than ever that I could never get enough.
She reached up, brushing the hair from my temple. “No,” she whispered. “We did it. Again.”
“Partners,” I murmured.
“Always.”
A little way down the beach, Cass pulled kelp from her hairand tossed it with a snarl back into the sea. Bowen left his axe in the sand, gave me a nod, and then headed up the cliff path to check on Annie.
The witch was dead. Our hunt was finally over. Even the clouds were parting, the rain turning to a light mist. Symbolic? Sure. But gods, I was ready for the storm to be over.
Marin’s gaze dropped to my shoulder, a hiss sliding through her teeth. “You’re bleeding.”
“You’re beautiful.” I adjusted her legs around my waist and shifted her closer.
She scoffed under her breath. “Really? Not even a coral monster can knock the charm out of you?”
I shrugged, stifling a wince. “I’m fine. It’s barely a scratch.”
